Caged Heart
by TheGoodMadame
Summary: Riku was killed by the infamous bounty hunter Kakuzu but upon being saved from the brinks of death he is once again reunited with those glowing green eyes. This time the circumstances are in Riku's favor.
1. Chapter 1

I sat at the feet of Zabuza Momochi and his partner Haku while waiting for our next target. I've been with these two for almost two years and I don't think we'd be considered friends since they've become more like bosses to me than anything else. I became a mercenary after my father willfully disowned me and cast me from his village, I met these two shortly after when I was on the brink of starving to death and they offered to feed me and house me as long as I obeyed their every rule and the only rule they ever really had was not to get in their way during a fight and provide backup when needed. Neither of them have ever actually seen my face or heard me speak in the two years that I've been with them as I constantly work a cat mask decorated in tradition Japanese art. This often made Zabuza mad but I had my reasons protecting my identity because my look betrays my secrets.

"Get your ass up Riku and get into position. We've got company now." I looked up at Zabuza and nodded. I jumped down onto the bridge we were surveying which startled my opponents.I took out my scroll and did the handsigns to summon my owl summon. I stood on top of her head and looked down at my opponents on the opposite side. Zabuza and Haku appeared at the bottom of my owl and looked out onto the battlefield. The bridge builder gasps as he sees the two faces once again and Kakashi prepares himself.

Haku trapped the raven haired boy in his kekkei genkai and Zabuza was locked in battle with Kakashi. The puny pink haired girl stood in front of the main target, the bridge builder, in feeble attempts to protect him. I noticed Kakashi beginning to get the upper hand and made shadow clones to slow him down while Zabuza got the upper hand once more. I sensed an unfamiliar chakra behind me and looked up to see an Akatsuki member standing behind me with a giant scythe on his back. Another joined him with a mask over his face and I immediately knew who this one was: Kakuzu, bounty hunter of the Akatsuki group.

My world seemed to slow down as Kakuzu pulled his hand back and thrusted it straight through my chest. I gasped as he gripped my heart and squeezed making me coughed blood onto his forearm. He yanked his arm out and I stumbled before falling from my owl; who screeched in pain before disappearing.

"Riku!" Haku disbanded his mirrors and attempted to catch me but wasn't fast enough as I hit the concrete of the bridge. My mask cracked and fell off revealing my piercing yellow eyes, purple markings around my eyes, and the fangs inside my mouth. Haku dropped down to my side and looked down at me with tears dripping from inside his mask. He ripped the mask off his face as he lifted me into his lap despite getting my blood all over his clothing and held me close to him. I raised my hand weakly and touched his cheek to gently wipe away the tears. Fighting on the bridge ceased as Zabuza joined Haku at my side and looked down at me with remorse.

"Don't...Don't cry...please Haku..." I struggled to speak as I looked up at him. He placed his finger over my mouth to try to shush me.

"Don't talk Riku, you need to save your strength..." Zabuza tried to keep his voice straight but I could hear it waiver.

"Every...Everything is going to be..." I coughed up blood which made me unable to finish my sentence.

"Well old man, looks like we have to finish this another time." Zabuza rubbed the back of his head and lifted me into his arms. Haku looked down to avoid looking at the ninja in front of him and they both jumped from the bridge to start heading towards home.

I relaxed against Zabuza's body and closed my eyes feeling exhaustion start coming over me. Zabuza gently shook me and I opened my eyes again to look up at him apologetically. I could see the worry in his face as we managed to get back home without incident. He laid me down inside my bed and I couldn't keep my eyes open much longer as Haku grabbed and held my hand close to his body. I looked up at Haku one last time before closing my eyes.

"Thank...you both.." I let my body relax as my eyes closed and my hand let go of Haku's hand. I was thankful for the time they gave me and I wouldn't have things any other way.


	2. Chapter 2

I opened my eyes and looked up towards the ceiling of my bedroom. I had the strangest nightmare as I sat up in my bed and looked around to see Haku resting in the corner with tired, tear-stained eyes, and felt pain come from within my chest. I looked down at my chest the best I could to see bandages wrapped firmly around my body covering a large wound. I held my head as I thought back to my nightmare and realized that it wasn't a nightmare, I really did die. Haku opened his eyes and upon seeing me awake hurried to my side and hugged me gently. This was strange behavior for him as he had never shown any emotion to me before today, but I liked it, I wrapped my arms back around Haku and hugged him tightly. I hissed as I caused myself pain but didn't let go of Haku until he did. I smiled apologetically at him and looked over as Kabuto and Zabuza entered the room talking until they noticed that I was awake. My brows furrowed as they joined me at my bedside and I looked at Kabuto with a glare.

"You. What're you doing here?" My voice was much stronger than I thought it was going to be as I spoke to them for the first time since my injury.

"Ah, so he does speak." I glared at Kabuto but he held his hands up in defeat, "I'm here because I overheard your father paying Kakuzu for your murder. No one in the Otogakure knows that I'm aware of your position and I chose to keep it that way." My glare softened as I looked at him.

"Why would you save me, Kabuto? If my father finds out then you'd surely be punished." He nodded.

"I'm well aware of the consequences but Riku, I loved you. You are the best brother that I never had. Haku and Zabuza love you too despite what you believe about them." Zabuza nodded softly as I looked at him.

"I love you guys, I'm sorry that I'm a pain in the ass." Zabuza chuckled while Haku sighed with relief.

My face darkened as I looked at Kabuto, "I need you to do me a favor. Sabotage my father in any way that you can because that bastard deserves to die, but I will do that myself. I just need help from the inside." Kabuto nodded.

"I will. Riku, Orochimaru's current body is dying and he is expected to be at his weakest towards the end of next week. That will be your time to get your revenge if you don't he'll be twice as strong as he is now which will make it more difficult." I nodded.

I grabbed Haku's shoulder and forced myself to stand up despite the pain in my chest. Haku placed his arms around me as I stumbled to keep me from falling as he helped me over to Kabuto who took me in his arms willingly.

"How often can you visit me, Kabuto?"

"I don't know. Hopefully once a week but I don't want your father getting suspicious of me so maybe less." I nodded and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you, big brother." Kabuto rubbed the back of my hair and smiled down at me.

"I've gotta go okay? I'll be back as soon as I can be."

"Okay, please be careful." He nodded as he left after handing me back to Haku. I yawned despite having already slept plenty so Haku helped me back into my bed.

"Get some more rest, we'll be in our rooms if you need us." I nodded and laid back in bed to sleep some more. I had a bad feeling in my stomach as I closed my eyes to sleep and I knew that my world was going to be changing, which judging by this feeling wasn't going to be a good thing.


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes and listed for a few minutes before slowly sitting up out of bed. I looked down at the foot of my bed and saw a small note addressed to me. I picked it up as I stood up out of bed and opened it as I started walking to the kitchen for something to eat.

 _Riku, we're going out to finish the bridge builder mission once and for all. We'll be back around noon, see you then sleepy head._

 _\- Haku_

I looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed the time, three o'clock, and my stomach dropped. They should have been home by now as they weren't ever late. I knew they would be okay, they had to be, they were Haku and Zabuza who never fell to anyone. I kept reassuring myself that they would be fine as I grabbed the plate of cold eggs and bacon from the fridge and sat down at the make-shift dining room table, which was really just a couple boxes pushed together on the floor, and began eating. I looked up as the door opened hoping that I would see their happy faces but instead all I saw was Kabuto walking in. I looked at him with a frown as he sat down in front of me with something wrapped in a cloth. Kabuto looked down as I looked up at him and I knew immediately that my worse fears were confirmed.

"They're gone, aren't they?" Kabuto nodded. It was an instant reaction as my tears couldn't be held anymore and they flowed freely down my cheeks. Kabuto handed me the wrapped package and I slowly unwrapped the item and sobbed when I saw Haku's blood-stained broken mask inside it. Kabuto moved to next to me and wrapped his arm around me as I sobbed into his chest.

"Riku, I'm so sorry."

"You all should've let me die! I could be with them right now!" I weakly hit Kabuto's chest as I cried.

"Riku, your father has somehow found out about you being alive. I'm not going to be able to visit anymore or I risk leading your father right to you…" Kabuto sounded miserable as he told me that during my hardest time he would abandoning me. I wiped my eyes and looked up at him with a blank expression.

"Then go, I'll get through this on my own." I sounded angrier than I meant to sound.

"But Ri-"

"Go!" Kabuto held up his hands and stood up from the floor before walking out of the house. I laid my head down on one of the boxes and looked down at the floor. I looked down towards the healing wound on my chest and ripped off the bandages as I didn't want to heal. I stood up and stumbled to my bedroom where my weapon pouch laid on the floor and grabbed out my kunai from it. I looked down at the blade contemplating shoving it into my chest wound and opening it back up or putting it back inside my weapon pouch and living without my friends. I took a deep breath as I made my decision and plunged the blade deep into my chest. I held back cries of pain as blood dripped down from the corners of my mouth and down my hands. I pulled the kunai back out and stabbed it into my chest one more time. I dropped the kunai as I pulled it back out and stood up off the floor while clutching my chest. I stumbled towards our living room where my jacket sat on a coat rack and yanked it on. I zipped it up to hide the bleeding and left the house so I wouldn't ruin it with my blood. I

"Fuck…" I gasped in pain as I started walking toward the road. I didn't know where I was headed but I knew anywhere that wasn't home was good enough.

I walked down the road taking in all the nature around me. The road was empty which was unusual for this time but for once I was grateful for it. I heard footsteps behind me and looked over my shoulder to see two bright green eyes looking back at me. I smirked weakly as I stopped walking and spun around to see Kakuzu in front of me. I heard someone jump down behind me and knew there was only one person that could be: Hidan. I didn't have any strength to fight as I held up my arms together for them to tie up as they pleased.

Kakuzu watched me closely as Hidan approached me carefully. I had no plans of retaliating as Hidan grabbed both of my arms and tied them together with some rope that was hanging from his scythe. Hidan looked at me strangely before grabbing me by the arm and throwing me down towards Kakuzu who lifted me up as he started walking into the woods I had just run from. I didn't look at either of them as we walked through the woods and was going to let them ask the questions should they have any because as far as I was concerned I would die soon.

We'd been walking for almost four hours when we took a break down in a small clearing shrouded by trees. I couldn't walk anymore although I hid that from Hidan and Kakuzu, I knew I was going to die soon as the wounds had just about run dry underneath my jacket. It was surprising to me that none of my blood had soaked through my jacket but I hadn't yet fully recovered from what happened the first time as well, which I assumed had something to do with it. Kakuzu let go of my arm suddenly which made me sway before falling back against a tree. I looked up at them with an apologetic side smile before closing my eyes as I laid back against the tree. Kakuzu huffed before walking towards where Hidan was setting up to rest for the night. I looked up at the darkening sky and guess it was probably about seven, maybe eight, at night so it wouldn't be long before it was too dark to see through the woods.

I closed my eyes once more and listened to everything around me before hearing someone walk up to me. I couldn't open my eyes as I heard them speaking from far away but couldn't answer them. I smiled apologetically before slumping over against the tree and falling unconscious from blood loss. Hopefully I wouldn't be awakened anymore after this final time.


	4. Chapter 4

"Riku, are you hungry?" Hidan yelled over to him at my request. I glanced over and saw his eyes were closed so I stood up and walked over to him. I knew something was wrong as I approached him and saw his skin was paler than it had been a couple hours ago. I bent down in front of him and didn't get a reaction from him which strangely worried me.

"Hey, I asked you a question! You ungrateful bastard!" Hidan yelled at Riku but still got no response.

I saw a small apologetic smile appear on his lips before he slumped over unable to keep himself up. I checked for a pulse from his neck and found that his heart was no longer beating. I laid him down on the ground flat before cutting the rope from his hands and unzipping the jacket. My eyes widened as I saw his entire chest was soaked with his blood, Hidan joined me at my side as he too was surprised with the sight. Had he been bleeding this entire time? How the hell did we not see this?

I removed a kunai from my weapon pouch and cut off his shirt. I wiped away some of the blood with my hands and saw the two kunai-sized stab wounds in his existing wound from our first encounter. I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything where we stood so we would have to march through to the base despite the darkness posing as a hindrance. I held out my arm as the threads came out and sewed shut Riku's wounds.

"We'll have to keep moving if we expect to reach the base. Pein wants Riku alive and should we fail at this he'll be very upset." Hidan sighed but agreed.

"Yeah, we should get moving then. Are you okay to carry Riku, Kakuzu?" I nodded.

"Alright then we better leave." I stood up from where I was knelt on the ground with Riku in my arms. I looked at Hidan before starting to walk in the direction of the base. It was going to be another couple hours before we got to the base and I wasn't entirely sure Riku was going to make it that far especially with the amount of blood he's lost.

"Hidan." He looked over at me as I said his name.

"I am going to stop here and see what I can do about these wounds on his chest. He isn't going to make it to the base like this which is why I need you to go on ahead to the base as quickly as possible and inform them of the situation. Have them send Itachi back with medical supplies for us."

"Why do you get to have all the fun?" Hidan knew he irked my nerves when I looked at him with a glare.

"Hidan."

"Fine, I'll go do your stupid errand." He ran off ahead and I looked around for some water. I heard running water to my left so I started heading towards it to see a small stream flowing peacefully. It wouldn't be the cleanest water to wash Riku in but something was better than nothing at this point. I laid Riku down at the edge of the water before removing my Akatsuki cloak and shoes. I slid into the stream slowly and was surprised to see it came up to my chest. I resisted the push of the current as I lifted Riku into the water with me and started to clean the blood from his body. The water turned a pale shade of red as his body was cleansed to look good as new. I lifted Riku from the water as I climbed out and laid him down once more. I removed the makeshift stitches from his wounds and dumped small handfuls of water into each stab wound so I could clean them out. I stitched them back up before sitting down next to him looking his body over.

Now that he was clean I could see where my hand once entered into his chest. I could still feel his heart in my hand and I was tempted to once again feel his heart, to have it in my collection. I leaned over him and looked at the stabs wounds more closely, they were definitely from the kunai but he had not been attacked in the woods, no these were self-inflicted. He was trying to die which explains why he didn't put up a fight when we came for him. Unfortunately for him he was far too valuable to just allow to die. I killed him the first time so the Akastuki could get close to Orochimaru since we were aware that Kabuto would revive him after watching them together for so long. The plan has went perfectly for so far which made me curious as to what changed for Riku to try killing himself.

I looked down at Riku's face and noticed that was awake. His piercing yellow eyes looking up at me with confusion. I quickly moved away from him as he attempted to sit up.

"Why.."

I looked at him questioningly, "Hm?"

"Why would you save me? I wanted to be with them...I didn't want to wake up!"

It seemed to click in my mind why he was trying to kill himself. It was those two from the bridge, Haku and Zabuza, they must have finally met their demise. I watched as Riku doubled over in pain as he cried and felt something deep within my chest. I doubted I would be feeling anything worthwhile as I hadn't felt emotions in a very long time.

"Pein wants you alive. You'll be valuable to us in working with your father." He looked up at me like I was stupid which angered me.

"My father doesn't give a damn about me. Despite looking exactly like him, he's not my father, I was stolen from my real parents then made into what I am now by his experiments. He wanted to create a child that looked, acted, and had the same strength as he but, he failed because I'm nothing like him. You are all stupid if you believe Orochimaru will not cross you just because you have me in your custody."

I couldn't help myself as I reached over and punched Riku in his face. He laid over on his side and didn't move but his eyes were looking right towards me. I knew Riku was right that Orochimaru would betray us eventually but it was not my place to say so, and him insulting us the way he has was unforgivable. I heard footsteps running towards us and saw Itachi and Tobi headed our way. I stepped away from Riku as Tobi lifted him up and we all started heading back as quickly as possible.

"Tobi is a good boy! He saves Riku-chan!" Riku looked up at Toby with anger as he was carried. I chuckled darkly as I watched Riku become angrier and angrier as he held onto Tobi.

Riku's words circled in the back of my mind about Orochimaru and another emotion that I wasn't familiar with began to surface, I believe I was beginning to worry about this mission, something that I hadn't felt in several years. What was it about Riku that made me feel these things? I wasn't sure I like feeling like this so I needed to keep my distance from him from now on.


	5. Chapter 5

I watched Tobi carry me with anger lacing my expression. Of course as we ran back to the base they believed I was angry because I was being annoyed by Tobi, no, I was angry because I knew who Tobi was. I knew the ones around me had no idea that Tobi was actually Obito Uchiha and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. I also knew that as soon as I had laid eyes on Obito that these ninja were all going to die horrible deaths believing that they were doing a greater good for their leader, but they weren't. They were going to die because of the corrupted Uchiha that held me.

We approached a cave and Tobi sat me down on my feet. I was still too weak to fully move by myself so Tobi braced himself under me. I was lead in and saw Pein standing in front of me with a small look of concern at my injuries. I half-smiled at Pein before being lead to the infirmary that was in the back of the base by Tobi. After we were out of earshot of the others and I was laid in a bed I looked up at Tobi, he pulled off his mask, smirking down at me and wrapped his hand firmly around my throat. I gasped and tried to grab his hand from around my throat but he kept squeezing tighter and tighter. His fingers focused pressure around the upper part of my throat which would prevent me from speaking and continued to crush my throat. I didn't fight back anymore as I begin to feel weaker than I already had.

Tobi released my throat and put his mask back on as the infirmary door opened. I looked over and saw Kakuzu walk in looking back and forth between us. Kakuzu walked over to me and looked down at my neck before ignoring it and checking over my wounds. He walked away to get stitches before returning to me and sewing up my chest, I gasped in pain but couldn't do much more than that because of Tobi. Kakuzu's brow furrowed as if he sensed something wrong but shook his head and bandaged the freshly sewn wounds. I looked away as he looked up at me once finished taking care of my wounds and sighed miserably to myself. Tobi walked back over to me once Kakuzu had left but didn't remove his mask this time as he spoke.

"I want you to listen very closely now Riku because I can, and will, end your life."

I scoffed and he looked at me with a scowl. I nodded to him to show that I was listening and he went on."Now, you have been taken so you can be the servant of the Akatsuki but I have other plans for you. I want you to protect these Akatsuki members with your life and I don't care how many times you die in the process because I want my ten-tails. Is that clear?" I nodded because that's all I could do really. Tobi stepped away from my bed as Pein entered into the infirmary and looked at me, he sighed before he sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at me.

"I am going to assume that you have been filled in on why you've been brought here, yes?" I nodded.

"Good, that'll make my life a little easier. Now as you know you've been brought here to be a servant of the Akatsuki and to be the upper hand against Orochimaru, but during your time here you will be treated as an equal but you are not equal if that makes any sense." I nodded once more as Pein finished.

"We are aware that you are not Orochimaru's child, in fact we've been keeping a close eye on you for a very long time now." I looked at Itachi as he spoke, "In fact we have found who you actually belong to, which we will tell you at a later date once our mission is a success." I sat stunned as Itachi went silent once more. I looked down with a saddened expression at the thought of my parents and how they must've felt losing me.

"Once you are well enough to fight you will be living with Itachi in his room and teamed with Kakuzu and Hidan. Are we clear?" I nodded and they left. Obito left the room as well leaving me with my own thoughts. Something I didn't like being alone with.


	6. Chapter 6

Kakuzu has been avoiding me since I was released from the infirmary, I didn't know what I had done to make him act like that but I welcomed it. Itachi's words rang through my head that they knew who my real parents were but weren't going to tell me. I feared my parents were dead so it was probably for the best that I didn't know who they were so I wouldn't have to mourn them and distract myself from the threat that Obito Uchiha raised. I looked up from my book as Itachi entered the room and cleared his throat.

"Today Sasori and Deidara will be going after the one-tailed beast and has requested that you go with them." Itachi seemed angry behind his calm demeanor but I put it out of my mind as I nodded.

Itachi left the room so I could prepare for the mission and slip into my Akatsuki robe. I sighed because I know Pein wasn't the one requesting this, no, it as Obito. He expected these two to die and that's why I'm going: to prevent that. I walked out of the room and went straight to where Sasori and Deidara were awaiting me, they looked at me as if asking if I were ready and I nodded. We left the base and headed to our first stop: the sand village.

On the way there they both attempted to talk to me but because of Obito I couldn't respond with anything but nods and gestures. This annoyed Sasori so he quickly stopped speaking to me and focused on our task at hand. Deidara seemed to stare at me and eventually he told Sasori to hang on a minute. Deidara approached me and placed his hand on my throat, I tensed up as he gently squeezed and felt around to check something. He looked at me with concern as I knew he felt the damage caused by Obito, I looked away from him and avoided their gazes. Sasori walked over to us after exiting his puppet and looked at Deidara with a frustrated expression.

"You're throat has been crushed, how are you able to breathe?" I shrugged.

"Did someone at the Akatsuki do this to you?" Sasori asked. I nodded then looked away.

"Does anyone else know?" Deidara asked this time. I shook my head no and refused to look up at them.

"Why were you sent on this mission, Riku? We are not your assigned team yet you were sent with us." Sasori seemed to be catching on to what was happening.

I pointed to the both of them before running my finger across my throat, then I pointed my finger at myself and did the same throat motion.

"They expect us to die and you're here to take our places when necessary and die instead?" I nodded.

They looked at me with scowls on their faces and I looked away from them once more. Sasori sighed and got back inside his puppet before looking at Deidara and motioning that they needed to move forward. I followed behind obediently but knowing that they knew of their own fates was sombering to me and made me even more determined to make sure they both survive.

We approached the sand village and I looked at Sasori as he stopped at a large crevice with Deidara. Deidara looked back at me before summoning his bird and flew off towards the sand village, I didn't follow because I knew he would survive this fight but I stayed close by Sasori. I watched as he rigged this tunnel to explode should anyone come after them once fleeing and now we play the waiting game. I could see the fight in the distance and saw Deidara's arm be captured by the sand but it was too late for me to intervene as his arm was ripped away from his body. Sasori shook his head when I looked back at him with worry, I sighed and sat down beside him watching the fight.

It was a long time before the explosion shook the land and Gaara was finally down signalling the fight was over. I stood up from the ground as Sasori and I started heading back to the cave where we would extract the tailed beast ultimately killing Gaara. As we walked we could hear the traps in the crevice being triggered and a loud explosion ringing out. It wasn't long after that when a sand ninja I recognized as Kankuro, Gaara's brother, caught up to that. He looked back and forth between Sasori and I before attacking Sasori. I stood in the background knowing that Sasori would easily overpower this kid and watched as he was taken down. Sasori's blade managed to get him and poisoned him with his own concoction of poison that would kill him slowly and painfully. I wasn't necessarily an evil ninja, despite what people think when they look at me and see Orochimaru, and I didn't want to leave Kankuro there in the desert dying but I had no choice as we marched forward. I hoped that someone would find him soon and save him because Sasori's poison was a nasty one.

We had made it back to the cave and Gaara's beast was extracted but now we were locked in a battle with Sakura and Chiyo. Deidara had taken off on his bird and told me to stay with Sasori, I was supposed to protect all the members of the Akatsuki so I sent shadow clones with Deidara but stayed with Sasori. I was holding my stomach as one of Chiyo's attacks had hit me in the gut. Sasori was looking back at me but I nodded at him to continue his fight, I could see that it was coming close to an end as both sides had used a majority of their tactics already. I watched Lady Chiyo closely and saw the two blades headed for Sasori before he had and pushed him out of the way. I gasped in pain as the two blades were protruding from my chest and coughed up some blood. Sasori looked at me in shock but I mouthed "run" to him so he would flee from the battle. He did as instructed and fled from the battle but Sakura was running up to me.

I expected a finishing blow but instead she removed the blades and helped me down to the ground. I looked up at her with blood running from my mouth as she held her hand over my chest. I reached up and moved her hand to my throat so I could speak once more.

"I recognize you from somewhere." I nodded as my throat healed. I reached down into my Akatsuki cloak and removed a broken piece of my old mask from my pocket.

"You're that guy from the bridge, the one we saw be killed, were you brought back?" Sakura seemed surprised.

"Y-Yes.." Sakura put her hand over my chest as she tried healing my wounds.

"Please...don't…" She ignored my pleas and held me until my chest was healed enough that I would live. She helped me stand from the ground and kept her body under me so I wouldn't fall.

"The Akatsuki will be coming for me shortly you should leave before they get here." I looked away from Sakura.

"What are you doing with the Akatsuki anyways?" Sakura asked as she held me.

"I'm prisoner to them and it is my job to die, now go before they spot you." Sakura helped me sit on the ground before she and Chiyo hurried off before they got here.


	7. Chapter 7

I threw my body back down onto the ground as I waited for the Akatsuki to retrieve me. I looked at the blazing sun wondering why Sakura had saved my life even though I was an enemy. I touched where the swords pierced my chest and thought back to the pain I saved Sasori from. A small smile appeared on my lips since I knew Sasori would be alive because of me when I was taken back to the base. I looked over as Itachi came running up to my side and sat up weakly to greet him - he seemed relieved to see that I hadn't died. Itachi lifted me off the ground like a child even though I was twenty years old and started carrying me back to the main base. A thought occurred to be as I looked up at Itachi and smiled as I rested back in his arms.

"Hey Itachi." He looked down at me with a questioning glance after hearing me speak.

"You're never going to tell me who my parents are because they're dead, aren't they? If they were alive you would've told me already but they aren't." Itachi seemed to have been caught as he nearly dropped me.

Itachi looked down at my defeated and I knew immediately that I was right. My parents were indeed gone and judging by Itachi's expression, he had killed them. My brain was starting to piece together exactly which clan I belonged to and who my parents were as I learned more. As we neared the base I stopped talking and went mute once more so Obito wouldn't find out about the events of today. I meant what I had said to Sakura, I was indeed a prisoner here and I was meant to die for them, but it was becoming my own free will. The only people in this base that I knew I wouldn't be able to save was Pein and Itachi. They will eventually die but for reasons that are irrelevant to our current task and I would not be able to save them from that fate.

I ignored the glances of the Akatsuki and retreated straight into Itachi's room. I picked up my book from the top of the small rickety bookshelf and sat on my bed to read until I was to die once more. The wound in my chest seared as I got comfortable on the bed and opened my book to finally get some much needed relaxation. I heard the door open and groaned in my head because I thought Itachi was summoning me for another mission. I looked away from my book and noticed Kakuzu standing awkwardly in my room looking at me. I motioned for him to come over to me and he sat down next to me on my bed almost immediately. We sat in silence before he finally cleared his throat to get my attention and looked over at me.

Kakuzu startled me when he crawled on top of me and laid my book off to the side of my bed to look down at me fully. I could see apprehension in his face as he pondered the situation over in his head before finally his hands found their way to my throat. His hands seemed to move away from my throat, I reached up and put his hands firmly back on my neck before mouthing 'do it' to him. His grip started to tighten as he received a strange kind of reassurance from me and immediately I started to feel lightheaded. I felt my life was slipping but that wouldn't matter because Obito would revive me from slumber again and again.

The door to Itachi and I's room opened and Kakuzu was yanked off of me. I could hear Tobi with his playful voice scolding Kakuzu in a childish manner. As I laid there, gasping and coughing as air was allowed back into my lungs, I wanted to warn Kakuzu. I didn't care that as soon as Kakuzu left the room I would be punished by the man behind the mask, no I just wanted to save Kakuzu from a horrible fate. Kakuzu grunted before leaving the room which left me vulnerable to Obito.

"Are you trying to disobey me Riku?" I shook my head.

"You were healed by that pink haired girl, weren't you? What did you tell her? Speak!"

"Nothing of importance, I promise Obito. I only told her my purpose to the Akatsuki and nothing more." Obito slapped me hard against my cheek leaving a red whelp. I whimpered as he removed a kunai from inside his cloak.

"I think you told her more than that." I shook my head.

"No, I didn't tell her anything!" I tried to keep my voice down, but it rose higher than I had wanted.

My yelling angered Obito as he placed his hand over my mouth and plunged the kunai into the wound on my chest. I screamed into his hand and fought back against him but he only continued to push it in. Obito leaned down close to my ear and growled in anger.

"Remember your place here, Riku. I can kill you anytime I want to and send you straight to your parents." I nodded as he removed the kunai in one quick movement causing me to gasp in pain.

Obito removed a small black choker from his pocket and placed it around my neck. He fastened it closed and locked it with a chakra lock, unseen by anyone but the one who placed it. He looked down at me with a smirk and I realized I couldn't speak anymore, this had blocked my speech and even my own chakra, which would leave me completely defenseless should I be attacked. Obito left me in Itachi and I's room with a bleeding chest and no ability to call for someone to help me. I relaxed further into the bed and sighed inwardly as I looked up at the ceiling of this horrid, yet homely, cave and thought about my life. I was always a protector, the exact opposite of why Orochimaru created me, even with Haku and Zabuza my job was to never interfere unless their lives were at jeopardy, even now I fight to protect the Akatsuki members from their own deaths by giving myself instead. I am a failed experiment in Orochimaru's eyes but I am needed by many others - which isn't always a good thing.

"Riku?!" Itachi dropped whatever he was carrying and hurried over to my side.

I mouthed to Itachi that I was fine and that there was no need to worry. Itachi's hand went to my throat where the collar was which made his expression turn to that of anger. Itachi looked down trying to hide his tears and wiped the tears that started to fall from my eyes away.

"Riku, I can't hide who you really are anymore. It is part of my mission to but I can't any longer because it's eating me up inside. You are.."


	8. Chapter 8

My door burst open as Itachi was about to tell me who I really was and I glared at Hidan as he marched in. He glared back at me which confirmed that Hidan hated my guts because of them being stuck with me. I stood up from the bed and looked at Hidan with a questioning glance.

"You've got a mission to take care of. Deidara has found himself in some trouble and its up to you to return him alive, got it?" I nodded and looked back at Itachi with an apologetic glance before leaving my room. Itachi looked angry as I left and I understood why, Itachi was one of the smartest Akatsuki there which meant it didn't take him long to understand what was happening. I didn't want anything happening to Itachi so I wondered if I should even return to the base at all. I shook my head and sighed inwardly before focusing on finding Deidara. I located his chakra and headed towards it before he did anything stupid that would get me up punished. I calmly walked up to him as he was preparing his final attack and grabbed his arm.

"Riku...What're you doing here?" I pointed to the mouth on his hand. I made an explosion motion with my hands before pointing to myself and making the slit throat motion. I once again pointed to him and pointed away from the battlefield which he understood and quickly jumped away from the field. I opened my weapon pouch and removed a kunai before staring at the ninja in front of me.

I let out a silent scream as my head began pounding. Something about the one in front of me, Sasuke Uchiha, was familiar to me. I saw him on the bridge but he didn't have the same effect on me then as he does now. I knew I had to flee so I turned and ran off back towards the base where I would be safe for now. Deidara and Tobi were waiting for me at the entrance of the cave and we quickly went inside hoping that Sasuke wouldn't follow us.

Obito pulled me into his room and threw me onto the bed. He walked over to me and removed his mask to look at me completely.

"You're doing good Riku. Only a few more then you can finally die once and for all. Your next mission will be with Kakuzu and Hidan, I have no use for Hidan anymore, but you are to protect Kakuzu at all costs do you understand me?" I nodded. Obito yanked me off the bed and made me kneel in front of him. I braced myself for what I knew was coming as he foot made contact with my stomach. I silently gasped in pain and looked up at Obito, he pointed for me to exit his room. I stood up trying to regain my composure and quickly left his room before he got angry with me. It seemed that even when I do good I still deserve punishment in his eyes which made me feel that following his rules were pointless if I still got hurt.

"That was a quick mission Riku." Itachi was standing in front of our door as I walked up to it. I opened the door to go lay down which Itachi followed.

"I need to get this out before someone else interrupts. Riku, your actually identity is Riku Uchiha and you are my older brother." I froze where I stood. I couldn't be a Uchiha, no I didn't have the sharingan, it was impossible.

Itachi took my hand and sat down on my bed with me. I looked at him in a state of shock and he smiled sadly towards me.

"You were taken from us shortly before I was forced to kill my clan. Our mother was distraught and I was devastated. We told Sasuke that you decided to travel so it would hurt less. It wasn't until I saw you with Zabuza and Haku that I knew where you were and I was furious when I saw them bring your body back from the bridge." I wrapped my arms around Itachi wanting so bad to tell him that it was okay.

"I want to protect you Riku, I hate the thought that someone is hurting you right under our noses but I can't. If I try anything I could get you killed before I've figured out how to help you." Itachi touched the small collar around my throat, "the only way for me to help you is to kill you, and that's not an option for me. I love you, Riku." I smiled down at Itachi before hearing the all too familiar sound of someone calling for me. I stood up from Itachi's grasp and walked out to my team who looked annoyed at me. I smiled apologetically before we left the base and started walking to where I would assume their deaths were meant to take place.


	9. Chapter 9

I stood from afar watching Kakuzu's fight with Kakashi and Might Guy's teams. My assigned team appeared to be winning the fight until I saw Kakashi and Shikamaru exchange something in their hands. From the distance I was away I couldn't tell what the item was so I hurried towards Kakuzu and Hidan. I could hear tidbits of their conversations about Hidan's special technique and connected the dots myself. I was unable to make hand signs due to the collar around my throat but I still had the advantage of my speed. I tracked Shikamaru as he ran at Kakuzu but as he was about to use the vial in his hand I jumped quickly across Kakuzu before hiding once again allowing Shikamaru to believe the blood in that vial was Kakuzu's. I looked down at the small cut on my arm realizing that I would die because of Hidan and he would never realize it. I couldn't protect Hidan and Kakuzu so I knew I would be losing at least one of them today but I couldn't allow it to be Kakuzu because of my orders. Kakuzu was stronger than Hidan, considerably stronger, because without that scythe he wasn't much of a fighter.

I didn't have long before my death as Shikamaru lead Hidan away from the battlefield. I looked back at Kakuzu realizing he had gotten the upper hand and knew everything would be okay now. I walked out from my hiding spot and looked at Kakuzu, he seemed to know where I was and looked directly at me. I had tears forming in my eyes as I mouthed my final goodbye because I wouldn't be going back to the base this time. I was going to hide my body from Obito so I couldn't be resurrected to help Obito use these people's lives. Kakuzu became distracted by the battle as he tried to come to me which gave me plenty of time to run. I was fast because of Orochimaru's experiments so I was able to put some distance between the battle and myself quickly. The collar around my neck makes my chakra undetectable even for Obito, that's why I was always supposed to die in a designated area so I could be retrieved and revived easier. This time I wouldn't allow them to find me so easily.

I am so very sorry, Itachi…

I wish you would've killed me back in our room.

I'm so sorry..

I gasped in pain as my chest started to hurt. I collapsed next to a tree knowing that Hidan fell for Shikamaru's trick at last, but I managed to trick them as well and save Kakuzu's life. I wonder whose life I just jeopardized by saving him from his fate. I clutched at my chest feeling my heart slowly stopping and tears started flowing from my eyes. I gasped in pain before finally feeling my heart stop at last. I took one last gasp before my hand fell from my chest and onto the ground next to me limply.

 _I looked around me as my memories surrounded me with warmth. I noticed there were a few that I don't recognize and gasped when I realized that was me before Orochimaru took me. I had the sharingan in those memories, Orochimaru must've taken my eyes from me when he took me. I saw Itachi following behind me as I took a load of laundry to my room for our mom. He bumped into me and I dropped all of my laundry on the ground. Mom popped around the corner wondering what was going on and she was very pregnant, must be with Sasuke. I could feel tears flowing down my cheeks as I watched all the memories of before Orochimaru fly past me._

 _I looked up when a hand touched my shoulder and I was suddenly pulled into a pair of arms I recognized._

 _"Mom… Where am I?"_

 _"You're in your own version of purgatory, Riku. I missed out on so much of your life all because I stopped searching for you…."_

 _"I am sorry too Riku." I looked over to see my father walking towards me._

 _"I'm scared of what's going to happen to me now, I can't go back just to keep dying for them but I have so much more left of my life… I could really use you guys there right now.."_

 _My mom rubbed my cheek with a sad look on her face. My dad wrapped his arms around my mom and looked at her as a bright light appeared behind me._

 _"Itachi found me…" I could see Itachi crying over my body as he held me close to him no longer able to keep his cool collected face. Kakuzu was next to him staring away from my face._

 _"He never left you Riku, Itachi has been following you on every mission you've been on since he found you. He will lie and say he hasn't but he has had to watch you die three times. He was there on the bridge, during the fight with Sasori, and even now. He has been hiding it from you because he has to keep a facade up for Obito." I looked at my dad._

 _"I don't want him in pain, but I can't keep doing this dad… it hurts so much to keep dying. And as long as I keep saving them they will be sent again and again to their deaths which I will have to prevent. The only escape is to finally die in peace."_

 _"It's your choice honey, we are here to guide you on whichever path you choose." I smiled at my mom._

 _"I love you guys.." I looked towards Itachi before looking back at my parents._

 _"Obito has arrived to my body, I won't have a choice anymore… Ah! It hurts!" I gripped at my neck and dropped to my knees screaming._

 _"What is he doing to my baby, Fugaku?!"_

 _"Its that damned collar Obito put on him! It hurts him even in death!" I collapsed panting as the pain let up and looked up at my parents as they started disappearing. I could see I was now in Obito's arms being taken back to the base to be revived once again._ I was really starting to hate life.


	10. Chapter 10

I opened my eyes and looked around to see that I was in Kakuzu's room. I sat up slowly as my body was still recovering from my revival, I heard a grunt come from the other side of room and saw Kakuzu struggling to stitch up the wounds his body couldn't. I stood up out of bed and gently touched his shoulder causing him to jump. He settled down noticing it was me and handed me the needle he was using. I started sewing up the wounds earning a small grunt from Kakuzu on the occasion that I hit a sensitive part of his skin. I gently pat his shoulder to signal I was done and he turned to face me.

"Thank you." I nodded at him.

"Why can't you talk, Riku? You could before we brought you to the base."

I pointed to the collar and made hand signs only to have my chakra fizzle out. Kakuzu seemed to be upset at this as his attitude seemed to change. I blinked and Kakuzu had me pinned down to the floor looking down at me. I was worried that was going to hurt me but instead he planted his lips firmly against mine. I started moving my lips in sync with his, enjoying the kiss more than I should be considering my situation. I wrapped my arms around him so we could sit up without disconnecting our lips. Eventually we had to break for air which left me touching my lips as if some questions have just been answered within my own mind, a look I shared with Kakuzu. I also gave him a questioning glance as if asking what the hell that was.

"I needed to confirm some feelings towards you. Riku, I know someone here is hurting you and I heard from Deidara what you're really here for, but would you consider going out with me?" I nodded and kissed Kakuzu again which he returned gratefully.

The door to Kakuzu's room opened and my brother walked in looking at me in Kakuzu's arms. I smiled sheepishly at him as Kakuzu wrapped his arms around me. Itachi sat in front of us and looked at Kakuzu seriously.

"It's official then?" Kakuzu nodded.

"Yes we made it official just before you walked in." Itachi chuckled softly.

"That's the best news I've had in a long while with everything that's happening right now, but we need to focus now. Deidara and Sasori have agreed to help us on this as they are only other two that know."

Kakuzu nodded and looked down at me, "Riku we need you to wait outside my room. There's a good chance the owner is listening in." I kissed him before exiting his room.

Their worries were not unwarranted as he did in fact listen into every conversation. I knew he heard enough to go after the four of them but I wasn't going to let that happen anymore. Obito needed to die once and for all.

As I walked passed Obito's room he yanked me inside. It seemed he no longer cared to hide it now that almost everyone knew the truth. Obito grabbed the collar and removed what blocked my speech.

"What are they planning Riku?" He asked.

"I don't know. Today is the first I've heard of it myself." I answered truthfully.

"Liar!" Obito hit me hard in the face which knocked me to the floor. I looked up at Obito feeling so damned angry that I almost couldn't contain it anymore. As Obito reared back to kick me I grabbed his foot in mid-air and twisted it until it broke. Obito looked down at me in shock that I was betraying him.

"Remove this collar Obito, now." I demanded.

"No, you're going to suffer at my hands." He snarled. I stood up from the floor and kicked Obito down onto it.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing."

I stomped down on Obito's broken ankle making him cry out in pain. I pressed harder until he was screaming in agony. The door behind us to reveal Itachi and Kakuzu looking in confused. When they saw what I was doing the pieced everything together and joined me at my side. Obito looked up at me panting with an expression of anger. I walked behind him and grabbed his head before starting to twist it.

"Remove the collar yourself or die." I growled.

Obito reached up and touched the collar allowing it to disintegrate away from my neck. I let Obito go and looked down at him.

"You touch me ever again and I will break your neck." Kakuzu wrapped his arm around me as we walked out of Obito's room feeling accomplished.


	11. Chapter 11

I looked up from my book as Kakuzu and Itachi joined me in the room. I laid the book beside me when I noticed something wasn't right about them and stood up off the bed. Itachi walked over to me and grabbed both of my arms then kneed me in the stomach and pinned my arms behind my back. I didn't fight back because even if they weren't there mentally this was still them physically. Itachi tied my arms behind my back and pushed me towards Kakuzu, who grabbed me roughly and walked out of the room. I looked at the other Akatsuki members that still lived and realized that they all looked like zombies; their eyes were vacant and they didn't seem to have any conscious thought. I growled as Kakuzu pushed me onto the floor of Obito's room. Obito pointed towards the wall which Itachi and Kakuzu stood against. Zetsu trapped their bodies in the wall by pulling them half-way into the wall before walking out to stand next to Obito.

"You said I couldn't touch you Riku, but I technically didn't." He laughed as he snapped his fingers to release Kakuzu and Itachi from his control. Itachi was struggling as he saw Obito pull a sword from a sheath and Zetsu part my long jet black hair away from my neck. A snake silently crawled from my mouth and hid underneath my hair until the blade was to make contact with my skin.

"Riku, fight back please…" Zetsu seemed to tighten the packed dirt around Itachi and Kakuzu as their faces scrunched up in pain and they gasped for air.

"Don't hurt them…I will give you my body and my life Obito if you let them go…" I looked up at Obito pleading that he release them. Obito grabbed my throat tightly in his hand and started squeezing with more force than he had ever used before. I gasped for air as I looked over at my friend and lover.

"I am...s-sorry…" The snake under my hair bit into my neck and my body started slowly disappearing. Obito dropped me onto the ground and Zetsu pulled him under the ground before releasing Itachi and Kakuzu from the wall. Itachi ran to my side as Kakuzu collapsed next to me.

"Kakuzu, take my heart, add it to your collection before I disappear. Itachi tell Sasuke the truth and please don't let him kill you." Kakuzu didn't seem to know what to do as I guided his hand over my heart. He stabbed his hand into my chest and gripped my heart in his hand.

"This isn't the end...I will be back I promise...just wait for me.." Kakuzu removed my heart from my chest as I finally disappeared having been absorbed into the snake that bit me.

I could still see them from inside the snake and watched them stand up together.

"Let's get the others and evacuate this base before Obito returns." Kakuzu nodded and they left the room. I was teleported away from the Akatsuki base and looked up to see Kabuto holding me.

"It worked. Obito believes I am dead so he will report it to Orochimaru. I need to be placed in another body and given my eyes back Kabuto, because I know who I am now."

"I knew you would eventually. It's going to take a bit but I am sure I can find a body that would make you resemble your old self."

"Kabuto that body wasn't the one I was born in was it?"

"No, that's why you don't have your sharingan. We couldn't put it in that body because it wasn't compatible, your old body...wait, your old body is here still. Come on." I slithered into Kabuto's hands and he headed down further into the lab than I had ever been in. He flipped on the light and I gasped when I saw my body. I looked down at my waist length black hair, fair skin, and my body which was still muscular from my training with my father.

"It's so well preserved. I should be able to do a soul transfer into my body the same way I got into this snake." Kabuto sat me on top of my body and I slithered towards my own neck. I planted my fangs into my body and transferred myself into my own body. I sat up off the table and looked over at Kabuto through a pair of Mangekyou sharingan. I stretched my body to get used to the feeling of it and hopped down from the table.

"Thank you, Kabuto. I need to go find my brothers now." He nodded and I exited through the secret exit and ran towards the leaf village where I knew he would be. I felt Obito's chakra the closer I go to the leaf village and growled when I say Itachi unconscious on the ground and Kakuzu protecting Sasuke.

"Obito! I will kill you once and for all."


	12. Chapter 12

I looked at Obito with a death glare while he seemed surprised to see me. Kakuzu stood in a defensive position in front of Sasuke and Itachi to protect them against Obito. I drew my sword and slashed my blade towards him to catch him off guard. It didn't work and he immediately countered with a blow from above that I barely managed to block. I glanced over and noticed that Itachi had started to wake up which relieved me. I sideswept Obito with my blade and caught him in his side but I didn't get to dig the blade deep enough to slow him down.

"Brother you're bleeding!" I looked over at Itachi and noticed his side was covered in blood. I looked back at the battle too late to block Obito's blade and screamed out in pain as the blade tore through my right shoulder. My hands shook as I held my blade towards Obito and tried not to show the weakness I was feeling.

"Kakuzu, get them out of here while I finish off Obito." My voice shook but he nodded with some concern on his face. Obito laughed at me and attempted to attack Kakuzu but I blocked his blade while he and Sasuke fled with Itachi.

"You don't seriously think you can defeat me do you?"

"I don't, not with this injury, but I will fight to protect my brothers and Kakuzu." Obito laughed. I glanced behind him as I picked up the chakra of Kabuto in the trees. I pretended I didn't notice him as I focused on Obito and started making hand signs while pouring my chakra into my blade. My blade caught on fire much to the surprise of Obito and I slashed my blade towards him, a large swirling vortex of fire surrounded him as I walked through it and stood in front of him.

"The fire will slowly suck the oxygen out of us and kill us both. I designed this as a last resort that, unless you want to burn to death, you can't escape." I watched the realization hit him.

"You'd die to protect them?" I nodded.

"You've spent so much time dwelling in hate Obito that you never thought about Kakashi or anyone that you left behind for that matter. Did you think people had forgotten you? Because they hadn't. Kakashi is reminded of your fate each time he sees that eye you gave him." I gasped in pain as my lungs started tightening. Obito took off his mask and looked at me with what looked to be tears in his eyes. He walked over to me as I held my shoulder and dropped to my knees with fatigue.

"You're right, I am sorry Riku, for everything. I caused you more pain than I could've imagined and yet, you still want to help me. Why?" I looked up at him with a grimace of pain.

"I was the heir to the Uchiha clan, and it was and always will be my job to protect every Uchiha. Even you." I lifted my blade and slashed through the vortex to cancel it and collapsed onto my side. Obito lifted me up as I looked up at him and smiled softly, my eyes closed then opened as I fought against my growing fatigue.

"No no no no, Riku!"

"Apologize to everyone, make sure they know who you really are, and promise me that no one will get their hands on my sharingan ever again."

"No, please live...please Riku.." I looked up at the sky and smiled to the sun.

"Promise me…"

"I won't let you die!" I gasped as a sudden flow of chakra came rushing through my body. Obito was pushing all of his chakra into my body to keep me alive but it still wasn't going to be enough to save me. I closed my eyes as he held me against his body in shock.

-

No no no no…

I shook him to try to get him to open his eyes. He wasn't breathing anymore, I needed to get him to Kakuzu quickly if he is to survive. I lifted him into my arms as I stood up from the ground, I looked down at the sword and noticed it was a Uchiha heirloom that he must have been carrying when he was taken by Orochimaru. I bent down to pick it up and laid it across his body as I carried him into the woods towards the chakra signatures of his brothers. I felt the fleeing chakra of Kabuto as I carried him and made a mental note to kill him later. I approached Kakuzu who turned once he sensed my chakra nearing him. I placed Riku onto the floor of a small wooden home and placed my hand around Riku's throat, I summoned a small red choker around his throat and sealed it with my chakra and blood. I grabbed Kakuzu's hand placed it against the collar to allow him to remove it when the time should come and to protect him under the enchantment as well.

"What are you doing to him?" Kakuzu was certainly calmer than the others with his attitude.

"This collar is a protection enchantment. Once he is revived he will not be allowed to die until that collar is removed by myself or you. I've put you under the same protection so even if your hearts are removed you will not die until he does. Riku made me see things differently than the way I was, I thought that everyone was selfish and no one ever cared about each other but I was wrong. Ninja do deserve mercy and life. I'm just sorry I didn't see it before my blade tore through his shoulder. Take care of him Kakuzu." I rose up from the ground and walked back into the woods and away from their home. Riku would survive another day because they need him and I need to see my friend.


	13. Chapter 13

"Ka-Kakuzu…" I held my head as I sat up off a bed I didn't recognize. I thought back to my fight with Obito and smiled as I realized that I had changed him for the better. I looked up as the door opened and suddenly a crying raven-haired boy was in my arms. I rubbed Sasuke's back and smiled down at him as I wiped away his tears and messed with his hair.

"Please don't leave us again!" I was taken back at the urgency in his voice and smiled sadly.

"I won't Sasuke, I can promise you that much." I kissed his head as Itachi walked in with his chest bandaged followed by Kakuzu. I stood out of bed as I convinced Sasuke to let me go and wrapped my arms around Kakuzu lovingly.

"I need to speak with you alone, Riku." I nodded as I smiled to my brothers before walking out of the room with Kakuzu and being met with a deep kiss. I returned the kiss and rubbed his cheek with a smile.

"Obito put a collar around your neck once more when he brought you to me. He told me it's a protection enchantment that will forever keep us alive unless I remove the collar. I don't know what you did to him but he seemed different." I nodded as Kakuzu finished. I thought about everything for a moment before looking over at Kakuzu.

"Marry me, Kakuzu." I blurted it out before I could control it and looked at him with nervousness. He seemed stunned but after what felt like forever he nodded his head yes. The door behind us opened as Sasuke looked between us in disbelief.

"Big brother, you're gay?" I nodded.

"I thought I would be considered a freak if I told anyone but if you're gay and the heir to the clan that means it doesn't matter."

"That's right, Sasuke. I don't care if my clan is gay or straight." Sasuke nodded as he ran off towards the leaf village.

"I guess he is going to confess his love to Naruto." Itachi said as I laughed.

"What about you? Shouldn't you go save Kisame?" Itachi seemed to think about it before nodding and leaving as well. I took Kakuzu back to my room and locked the door behind us. He seemed to get the idea as he pinned me hard against the wall and started kissing me with a rough passion. I returned the kisses and moaned against his mouth as he grabbed my dick through my pants.

Kakuzu unzipped my pants and reached his hand down into my pants and gripped onto my cock. I whimpered as my back arched against his chest and closed my eyes in ecstasy. I moaned quietly as Kakuzu bit my neck while stroking our cocks together. He kissed where he bit and looked at me with a desire that I hadn't seen before.

"I'm yours to do as you please with Kakuzu." He nodded and moved us to the bed so we would be more comfortable. I grimaced as my shoulder flared but put it out of my mind as Kakuzu kissed me once more.

"Someone is here." Kakuzu said as he broke away from me. I fixed my pants and stood up to listen for what he had heard. I heard the footsteps and opened my bedroom door to see Deidara looking around the house. He jumped when he saw us and smiled sheepishly.

"The Akatsuki had been disbanded and I don't have anywhere to go." I nodded and smiled at him.

"You can live with us here in the old Uchiha village. You'll have to keep your chakra masked since we are right outside the leaf village." He nodded as I lead him towards the back of the house and out to the houses of my old clan.

"Everything has been cleaned and restored since their slaughter so take your pick. Kisame will be here later with Itachi." I walked back to Kakuzu and sighed content.

"It seems my clan will never be restored since most of us are gay, but at least I will keep its memory and never let it be forgotten." Kakuzu wrapped his arms around me as he kissed my head.


	14. Chapter 14

p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;"I looked out at my friends as they went about their daily lives without much worry in their minds. I had informed the Hokage of our presence out here so that there wouldn't be any surprises should a ninja stumble upon us. Tsunade was kind enough to allow us to become ninja within Konoha once we signed a permanent treaty that declared the Akatsuki was no more, but aside from Kakuzu and myself no one wanted to be fighting anymore. I took up a position within the ANBU to infiltrate enemy villages and assassinate their leaders when they posed as a threat, otherwise I just worked within the academy training the up and coming ninja the basics so they would have a better chance at passing the exam. I smiled calmly to myself as I felt a pair of loving hands snake around my waist and rest their chin within the nape of my neck./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""It feels nice to not be worried about being killed every second of the day. I never thought I'd enjoy being away from the Akatsuki." I chuckled as Kakuzu placed a gentle kiss on the side of my neck./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I don't miss the Akatsuki one bit. Ever since that day with Obito everything has had this strange air of peace around it, of course we still have commotion with everyone arguing with one another on the occasion but we're a big family now and that's expected to happen." Kakuzu nodded as he kissed my neck before pulling away allowing me to turn to face him. I thought back to when I almost lost Kakuzu to Shikamaru and sighed as I knew that Hidan was rotting away in a hole somewhere probably cursing the world. I guess immortality does have it's downfalls when instances such as that come to light./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""What are you thinking about Riku?" Kakuzu asked as his green eyes flashed with curiosity./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I was just thinking about Hidan being down in that hole. I want to save him but he would more than likely ruin what we currently have and I couldn't take that chance, but I also fear someone taking his body and making him turn against us. Hidan isn't a skilled fighter but if he so much as injures you then you may as well kiss your life goodbye because his ritual is inescapable." Kakuzu nodded./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""Maybe you need to go talk to old hag Tsunade to figure out what to do about that potential threat. Hidan may have been my partner but I like what we have here." I kissed Kakuzu before sliding on my shoes./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I'm going to take Itachi to go talk to Tsunade." I walked outside and motioned for Itachi to join me. I started walking as he jogged to catch up to me before meeting my pace./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""What's up, Riku?" Itachi asked looking over at me./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""We are going to speak with Tsunade about getting Hidan out of that hole. This way he can't ruin our peace should someone revive him." Itachi nodded. We were greeted as we walked through Konoha's gates. On the way to the Hokage's office we ran into Shikamaru who wasn't thrilled to see us but I needed his assistance./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""Shikamaru, I'm going to have a meeting with Tsunade that involves you. I would like for you to join us." Shikamaru nodded with a lazy sigh before yawning and walking along next to us as we continued to see Tsunade./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""What's this about, Riku?" I looked over at Shikamaru./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""Hidan is still sealed within that hole right?" Shikamaru nodded seemingly filled with hatred at the mention of his name./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I'm going to retrieve him."/p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""You can't be serious?! He killed Asuma!" I shot a glare at Shikamaru./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""What's left of the Akatsuki are at peace with Konoha, but Hidan won't be. He will want constant revenge and will stop at nothing should someone put him back together. Hidan is not an enemy you want to have once he knows your abilities. Therefore I'm not retrieving him to revive him, I'm doing it to make sure no one else does." Shikamaru chuckled as he looked down towards the ground./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I guess you guys really are peaceful now. I had my doubts but this shows everyone can change."/p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I was never against you willingly Shikamaru, I was a prisoner that suffered daily. I've always been with Konoha." I walked inside Tsunade's office and looked at her calmly. I explained my idea for the mission to her the same as I had to Shikamaru and she nodded./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""I want you to lead a team to get fetch him. Shikamaru, I know your wounds are still fresh but your team has already encountered the zombie once before."/p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""With all do respect to Shikamaru's teammates I would like to only take him and Itachi with me." Shikamaru seemed surprised as he looked over at me. Tsunade sighed before nodding and waving us away to return to our lives./p  
p style="line-height: 27px; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; clear: none !important; background-color: #fefefe;""We leave in three hours, make sure you're ready." Itachi and Shikamaru nodded as I walked back towards my home while they went to go get food. Hidan, we are coming for you./p 


	15. Chapter 15

I had informed Kakuzu about my mission and that he was in charge in my absence. He wanted to come as well but I needed him here to defend our home in case we failed in our mission. He hated the idea but knew it was the right thing to do as I left to meet up with Shikamaru and Itachi. They were at the meeting spot already as I approached and immediately started walking. I caught up to them easily and looked over at Shikamaru who seemed to fall behind a bit.

"Everything alright, Shikamaru?"

"An unknown chakra just entered my family's forest; the animal guardians are slowing them down but we need to hurry. It feels like it's the one known as Kabuto that's entered." I nodded as we all started running to the forest in hopes that we can get to Hidan before they do. I wondered why Kabuto would want to betray me like this but figured he didn't like the idea of me siding with the leaf ninja now. He should have known that I would always be a leaf ninja regardless how long I had been away from the village. Shikamaru lead us through the forest and we just managed to get there before Kabuto reached the hole.

"Itachi get his head, Shikamaru and I will take care of Kabuto when he gets here." Itachi nodded and jumped down into the hole. I could hear he was moving rocks around as he looked for his head and I made shadow clones to surround the hole. Shikamaru got into position with his shadow possession and we waited as Kabuto came from the treeline only to find us guarding the hole. Something about Kabuto was different, he didn't look the same as I last saw him, even though his actual appearance hadn't changed. I frowned when I saw how empty his eyes looked and realized that Orochimaru had control of his body as punishment for assisting me. I looked towards Shikamaru as he looked back towards me upon realizing the same thing.

"Do as little damage as possible to his body. I can release him from Orochimaru's control if I can be given the time." Shikamaru nodded towards me as we heard Hidan yelling and cussing at Itachi, signaling the head had been found.

"Get him back to Tsunade, Itachi. We can handle it from here." Itachi looked back at me before running off towards the leaf village to hand off the loud-mouthed Jashinist. I looked between Shikamaru and Kabuto as I tried to figure out how I would go about releasing Kabuto from the clutches of Orochimaru.

"Do you know what you're going to do, Riku?" I nodded as I looked towards Shikamaru.

"I need you to keep him distracted while I build up my chakra, can you do that?" Shikamaru looked at me almost offended as I asked him but shook his head and sighed. I chuckled before jumping back further away from Kabuto and Shikamaru as they engaged in their fight. I closed my eyes and focused on gathering up my own chaka, because of this collar around my throat I won't die from any attack that Kabuto could possibly land on me which would work perfectly for me. They will hurt like a motherfucker but I would be able to survive them to do what I would need to do in order to free him. After I freed him I would make sure that he didn't return to Orochimaru because this was not to ever happen again as long as I can help it. I loved Kabuto too much to allow him to keep being used as a human puppet for the man that would eventually be killed. I sat on the ground and closed my eyes while listening to the clashing of their kunai in the distance. I focused all of my chakra to my upper body in order be able to perfect my plan. I opened my eyes and looked over at their fight before jumping in the middle of it, I grabbed Kabuto by the arm and looked into his eyes. I refused to use my sharingan since I didn't want to trap Kabuto in something that I wasn't even sure how to use after having been without it for so long. I threw him against a nearby tree and was by his side in seconds as I pinned him to it, he tried to fight back by shoving a kunai into my stomach but it didn't phase me as much as I had thought it would.

I pressed my mouth against his and allowed a tendril of chakra to enter his throat. It snaked it's way to where Orochimaru had control of Kabuto and slowly ate away at it while I held Kabuto in place. I pulled away once I saw Kabuto return to his normal state and held onto my stomach with the pain suddenly taking over. I dropped to my knees as the blood poured out onto my hand and even with knowing that I would survive this because of the collar I still felt as though I were going to die. Kabuto looked at me with a horrified expression on his face and started crying as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Kabuto, you need to come back with us. I can't allow you to return to Orochimaru just for him to hurt you once more, it doesn't need to keep happening like this." He shook his head.

"I need to stay with Orochimaru."

"Then the next time you see us I will be forced to execute you on sight regardless of our past." He looked away as he retreated into the forest without saying another word. I stood up from the ground holding onto my stomach as it stung in pain and gritted my teeth. I removed a kunai from my pocket and threw it into the woods until I heard a pained gasp. I walked towards Kabuto with shaky steps and stood over him once I was next to him. I lifted him into my arms and looked down at him with a cold expression as I met back up with Shikamaru.

"Tie him up Shikamaru so we can return home." Shikamaru nodded as he tied up Kabuto and looked over at my stomach wound. I shook my head and we started walking to the village, which thankfully wasn't that far away, since Kabuto would not survive bleeding from the wound in his thigh much longer.


	16. Chapter 16

I wandered into my house exhausted from my mission and the wound in my stomach. I knew it wouldn't kill me so I crawled into bed next to Kakuzu and snuggled into his back. He touched stomach when he reached over and sat up quickly out of bed. I groggily looked up at him as he tore open my shirt in order to see the wounds in my stomach. He grumbled at me before allowing the stitches to flow from his wrist and close up my wound for me.

"Why must you be so damned careless?" I looked up at him with a sigh as I sat up.

"It was the only way to save Kabuto from Orochimaru and protect our peace." It was Kakuzu's turn to sigh this time.

"Without that collar you would have died, you know that right?" I nodded and wrapped my arms around Kabuto as he leaned above me.

"I would never leave you Kakuzu, I knew I wouldn't die which is why I did it. If it would have been different circumstances I wouldn't have done that." Kakuzu kissed me as I finished talking which I gently returned. We laid down in bed together with Kakuzu playing with my silky black hair. I buried my face in his chest thinking about what he had said to me. Kakuzu has become my life and I know how much it would hurt me to lose him so I would make sure that I was careful on my missions in order to spare Kakuzu any kind of pain from thoughts of losing me. Another thought came to mind as I looked up at Kakuzu.

"You don't want me to be a ninja anymore, do you?" Kakuzu sighed.

"You're what keeps this place together, and as the head of the clan you shouldn't be putting yourself in danger. You have all of us here to help protect you, half of us are stronger than most of the kages so you don't need to fight unless threatened or we fail." I sighed as Kakuzu finished talking.

"I will go to resign from the ANBU in the morning when I go to speak with Tsunade. I won't go on missions anymore so I don't cause you any troubling thoughts." Kakuzu sighed feeling guilty but I reassured him with a gentle kiss. He seemed to relax and he started falling asleep once more. I yawned and got comfortable before falling asleep as well.

I tossed and turned in my sleep as bad memories flowed through my dreams turning them into nightmares. My body ached as I remembered how it felt to die so many times at the hands of Obito. I knew something was wrong with Obito as I could faintly hear him screaming for help from somewhere further away. My hand touched the collar in my sleep and suddenly I was standing next to a chained up Obito who was beaten and bloody. He looked up and his eyes met immediately with mine as he stared at my transparent figure. The collar must link me to him and allow me to appear before him anytime he calls for help.

"Riku, I didn't think you'd ever come, Orochimaru has Kakashi-sensei somewhere in this building. He blindsided us with an ambush as we talked next to the river by the Uchiha village, it's payback for taking Kabuto from him but I need you to save Kakashi before something horrible happens to him." I nodded as I looked down at him and suddenly was laying back in my bed staring up at the ceiling. I shook Kakuzu awake and looked at him as if telling him to gather my brothers. I changed into a clean jonin uinform, sent out a crow with a message for Tsunade, and walked out to where everyone had been gathered by Kakuzu.

"Orochimaru has kidnapped Obito Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. This collar acts like a link to Obito and while I slept he summoned me to what looked like a new lab of Orochimaru's. This is his revenge for my capture of Kabuto."

"Why can't we leave Obito and Kakashi to die? They've caused us nothing but pain, especially you." Sasuke said with attitude. Itachi slapped the back of his head before I could do something.

"Obito is a Uchiha, and I will not abandon one of our own, or have you forgotten that little brother?" Sasuke looked embarrassed as I called him out.

"The leaf allows us to live in peace so we owe them the safe return of the copy ninja. They have forgiven the wrongs we all have committed against them and removed the arrest warrants from us, we all owe them this." Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Kakuzu nodded in agreement.

"We will work in teams like with the Akatsuki, but you are not to kill unless they get in your way, this is a rescue mission not an assassination. I've sent a crow to the old hag so she should be arriving here very soon with some of her most trusted ninja. I know we, S-Class ninja, could easily handle this mission on our own but they will be useful in distracting the remainder of Orochimaru's cursed ninja." The others nodded.

"Alright, the teams will be: Kakuzu and I, Itachi and Kisame, and Deidara and Sasuke. I need you all to focus because this won't be an easy task to complete but we will leave once the leaf ninja arrive and have been filled in."

"Right." They all said in unison.


	17. Chapter 17

"Who are you calling old hag, brat?" I jumped when Tsunade walked up behind me. I looked up at her with an apologetic smile that she returned with a scowl. I looked behind her and noticed a face that I never wanted to see again: Tenzo, the wood user. My hand twitched towards the sword on my waist until Kakuzu gently took my hand in his. Itachi looked at Tenzo hatefully and had to be held back by Kisame.

"Is there a problem, Riku?" Tsunade had her guard up now as she looked between powerful and enraged s-class ninja.

"Tsunade, why would you bring Tenzo to a meeting with the Uchiha clan?" Tsunade shrugged, Tenzo stepped forward and bowed in front of me. I watched him carefully in case he tried something.

"I understand why you may not want me here because of what I've done to Itachi but I've come here because Kakashi is my friend and I want to save him. Please allow me to save him on this mission with you." I looked over at Itachi who nodded his acceptance and I motioned or Tenzo to rise.

"You are welcomed to join us on our mission but be advised that our feelings have not gone away." He bowed then stood off to the side as Shikamaru jumped down to us. He nodded towards me as I looked at him and raised an eyebrow as Gai came running up.

"Alright, now that everyone has arrived, Obito Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake have been taken hostage by our common enemy: Orochimaru. The nine of us are going to be rescuing them, we are going to need one of you to keep the cursed ninja busy and that needs to be you Gai-sensei." He thumbs upped the idea but I could see his pain through his eyes. I turned to Tenzo and Shikamaru, "you two are tasked with Kakashi's retrieval. Shikamaru will distract anyone inside the kage tower while Tenzo you grab him. Everyone got that?" They nodded as I looked over at Tsunade. She nodded for us to go ahead and we all jumped into the trees. Everyone split off in their teams to their predetermined path with Kakuzu at my side, Itachi above us, and Sasuke below him.

"Why are they splitting off like that, Tenzo?" I could hear Gai talking to Tenzo as we ran.

"They're guarding their leader from attacks on all sides, the one in the center is Riku Uchiha. Kidnapped by Orochimaru at a young age and used for war by the Akatsuki leader, he is the heir to the Uchiha clan. The heir to a clan is like a hokage to the leaf, without him the clan would fall apart." Gai seemed to be silenced.

"Then we all need to guard him as we run. He is choosing to save Kakashi despite the fact he killed his friends so I think we owe him that much." I sighed as Gai was never serious and hearing it was unnerving. The leaf ninja spread out around us and I knew that they were doing it to protect me. I chuckled as Kakuzu looked at me with confusion as to what they were doing.

"They're being extra protection to me upon Gai-sensei's request."Kakuzu nodded.

"There's the lab up ahead!" I looked towards the direction Tenzo pointed and growled when I saw it. We all grouped together a few feet from the lab and they looked at me. I touched the collar and appeared at the side of Obito as Orochimaru was cutting him. He noticed me and mouthed a question asking if we were there. I nodded at him which made him smirk at Orochimaru.

"Where does he keep Kakashi? I have leaf ninja here to retrieve him while I come for you." Obito nodded towards where Orochimaru usually keeps his prisoners and nodded. I took my hand off the collar and looked at my teams.

"Kakashi is in the dungeon and Obito is currently in the lab. Everyone know their jobs right?" They all nodded and dispersed to their tasks. I went straight to where I sensed Obito and growled when I saw Orochimaru holding him hostage with a kunai to his throat. I froze on spot and slowly locked the door behind me before Kakuzu could enter into the room. I laid my sword on the floor and walked towards Obito and Orochimaru with my hands up.

"Remove that collar from his neck Obito, I want this to be the final time that I kill Riku Uchiha." Obito shook his head and refused the order.

"Do it, Obito. I won't allow him to harm you or anyone else ever again." I heard the banging on the door as my brothers and Kakuzu were attempting to get to me. Orochimaru pushed Obito forwards into me so he could remove that collar and allow my life to be ended by the hands of Orochimaru. Obito looked at me with guilt as he touched my throat and the collar crumbled into pieces onto the floor. I shoved Obito away from me as Orochimaru pushed his sword through my stomach and looked at me with hate filled eyes. I smirked and shoved my hand through his chest and ripped out his beating heart so that he would die with me. Orochimaru's eyes widened as he slumped forward and coughed up blood onto the sterile tiles of the labs floor.

Orochimaru collapsed to the floor lifeless as I pulled his sword from my body. I cough blood out onto the tiles mixing with Orochimaru's, I slid down to the floor as I looked up at Obito with a small smile on my face. He unlocked the door to the lab allowing everyone to join me at my side as I close and open my eyes.

"Big brother!" Sasuke was holding onto my hand as I opened my eyes back up and looked at him with a soft smile.

"What the hell happened Obito?" Kakashi walked in with hardly any injuries and looked at Obito waiting for an answer.

I coughed up blood as I looked up at Kakashi, "Orochimaru would have killed him, I did what I am supposed to do as heir to the clan, and saved him. Please, no one blame Obito for this." Kakuzu dropped down to my side and pulled me close to him. I laid my head on his chest as his body shook from the silent sobs. Kisame held onto Itachi as he cried into his chest, Sasuke cried uncontrollably into Deidara's chest, Obito wouldn't look at me, Gai seemed like he wanted to cry, Shikamaru wasn't in the room anymore, and Tenzo bowed to me with respect.

"You promised...you promised you wouldn't leave again...Riku.." My heart felt like it was breaking as Sasuke barely managed to get those words out to me.

"I know...I'm sorry Sasuke..." I gasped in pain as I tried to sit up and look at everyone with a small smile.

"We should try to get home as quickly as possible. I don't think Riku wants this place to be the last place he sees in his life." I nodded to Obito as Kakuzu lifted me up off the floor, I rested against his body as everyone exited the kage tower to head home. Orochimaru was dead and as long as he was I would be able to finally rest in peace and pass down my title to Itachi.

It seemed like everything was a blur as we ran faster than I'd seen them run before. I knew they were hoping to be able to save me but I could feel myself growing more exhausted as time passed and I was doubtful that I would last much longer anyways.

"Obito..." He jumped up beside us as he heard his name.

"Yes?"

"If I am going to die today, and I do believe I am, then I need you all to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Don't let me be revived after my death and don't let anyone have my sharingan. If I die, I want you to take them and do something with them, I don't care what is done just don't let them fall into someone's hands who will do bad with them. Please."

"We will bury your body in my family's forest, it's well protected and we know who comes and goes." I looked over at Shikamaru and nodded a quick thank you before closing my eyes and snuggling into Kakuzu's chest.

"I love you, Kakuzu."


	18. Chapter 18

"I love you too, Riku."

I felt him snuggle closer to my body and that was it. I stopped running and felt everyone stop around me moments after, we weren't fast enough to return home and he died in my arms. I knelt down to the forest floor and laid his body down gently. He had a soft smile on his face which meant that he was finally at peace with the world. Everyone gathered around him and I could hear Sasuke crying in the background for his older brother.

"He is finally at peace. No one can cause him any more pain in this lifetime." I looked up at Obito and nodded softly. Riku died doing what was required of him as our clan leader.

"He should've left me behind with everything I've done but he stubbornly refused to and resulted in his death. I know it's not my fault but I still feel as though it is." Obito's voice was cold as he looked down at Riku.

"We should carry out his last request now." I said softly. I used my threads and carefully removed his heart, everyone looked at me in surprise as I added his heart to my collection and looked down at him lovingly.

"No one can ever touch your heart again. I will not let him ever be used as a puppet for war again." Everyone nodded. Obito leaned down beside me and gently removed his sharingan before closing his eyes peacefully. Itachi summoned a crow that took the eyes and swallowed them to prevent anyone from ever getting his eyes.

I lifted his body up and looked at the others, "let's get back to the leaf village to inform Tsunade of our missions success and the one casualty. Just because he has passed does not mean we won't keep his promise of peace." The other Akatsuki nodded and we headed back to the leaf village in a somber silence. I kept glancing down at him hoping that he would wake up but I knew that Riku Uchiha is dead and won't be coming back ever again.

We entered the leaf village with leaf ninja greeting us happily until they saw our faces. Naruto and Sakura greeted us enthusiastically until Sakura saw Riku's body. She looked like she wanted to help but I shook my head.

"He is dead Sakura. He died back in the woods and there's no bringing him back." Sasuke answered her glances and she looked away with a frown. Naruto hadn't gotten to meet Riku except the day I killed him all that time ago and even then he didn't get to meet him. We walked straight through the village to Tsunade's tower to report back. I laid Riku's body on one of the couches where Sakura stayed by his side and joined the others in Tsunade's office.

"The mission was a success but we had one casualty." Itachi held back his emotions as he spoke.

"Oh? Where is Riku?" We all looked away from her and she seemed to have gotten the picture as she looked down.

"Oh I see. What about the peace treaty?" She asked solemnly.

"It will not be broken. We will bury Riku, Itachi will take over, and life will continue as it was albeit a bit more depressing now." Tsunade nodded as she was deep in thought. She dismissed us and we headed home as Shikamaru took Riku to a spot we didn't even know about but trusted him. I didn't have a purpose anymore as I walked towards the Uchiha homes. I wish Riku would have stay home just this one time and he would still be here but I can't change that now as his heart beat within my body. He would've been a great husband but I would never get to know. I sighed with depression as I entered our old home and felt tears rise in my eyes as his death really set in. He was gone and I would never have him in my arms again. I loved you Riku, how could you have left us here?

I could hear everyone crying for our dead leader and for once I felt guilt. I should have made him stay here but he is stubborn, he would've fought me and went either way, but he could've let us protect him better! Goddamn it Riku…

"We are gonna miss your smiling face you shithead…." I let my tears fall as I looked up at the ceiling. Goodbye Riku..


End file.
